Police release sketch of Santa Rosa sex assault suspect

Santa Rosa police on Tuesday released a new sketch of a man authorities suspect of sexually assaulting a woman late at night last month as she walked along Mendocino Avenue near the neighborhood adjoining Santa Rosa Junior College.

The suspect, described as Latino in his early 20s with dark skin and short, dark-colored hair, allegedly grabbed the woman from behind and pushed her into some bushes before attacking her. The new sketch indicates the man has some facial hair - possibly a goatee and a mustache.

In the description, police said the suspect is ?5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about ?140 pounds. He has several moles or other raised markings on his left upper cheek and was wearing a light-colored shirt and dark pants at the time of the attack, police said.

The woman was walking north along Mendocino Avenue near the intersection of Ridgeway Avenue at about 10:15 p.m. Oct. 15 when the suspect allegedly grabbed her. The attack lasted roughly one minute, according to police.

The woman, who is in her early 30s, fought back and called 911, police said. She was later taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Police said at the time of the attack it was dark in the area and the woman didn’t get a good look at the man. In the past five weeks, she worked with a sketch artist from the San Rafael Police Department to identify him.

Santa Rosa police are urging anyone with information to call 707-543-4040. A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects involved.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 707-526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. Staff Writer Randi Rossmann contributed to this report.